What is a Chowhound?A Chowhound is someone who spends nearly every waking moment planning her or his next meal. Whether eating in a white-tablecloth restaurant or grabbing takeout on the way to work, Chowhounds hate to ingest anything undelicious. They won’t hesitate to go far, far out of their way for even slightly better.

Isn’t that the same thing as a foodie?No. Foodies eat where they’re told. They lap up hype about the “hot” new restaurant/cookbook/ingredient. They’ll explore unfamiliar neighborhoods, but only with their Zagat securely in hand.

Chowhounds spurn established opinion to sniff out on their own secret deliciousness. The places they find today will show up in newspapers two years from now and in Zagat’s in four, when they’ll undoubtedly have grown crowded and overpriced.

So Chowhounds eat as cheaply as possible?No. Chowhounds go way out of their way to find good food at any price. They’re savvy enough to appreciate value. Why buy rugelach at Balducci’s when it’s available at the baker’s outlet in Brooklyn at a fraction of the cost? But they also know certain pleasures come at a price — foie gras ain’t cheap, and Chateau Margaux is one terrific drink. No pleasure is gladly missed.

But if it’s simply a matter of quality, not economics, why don’t Chowhounds stick to four-star restaurants? Those places serve the best food in town, don’t they?Chowhounds believe that’s an old-fashioned attitude deliberately cultivated by media and commercial interests. Read a Chowhound editorial to see why this is patently not the case.

Why was it built?To be a grassroots alternative to traditional media, where food-obsessed individualists can exchange tips. Or read the posts from the sidelines. Everybody knows that obsessed people make for the most entertaining reading.